Banned Members

[guardian]

Was just browsing my old messages in the inbox and there was a message from a member who's been banned since. Out of curiosity, I clicked "reply" and it worked. So, now I'm wondering what the rights of banned members are? They are allowed to log on but not reply/start new posts or they cannot even log in using their ID ? Thanks

[Wolfie]

nope, a banned member cannot even view the site...

.. of course theres nothing stopping them logging out and viewing the site as a guest

[bendix]

Interesting topic.

Is there a process for banning - as in something like three strikes and you're out, or can it come crashing down on their heads unexpectedly? Do they get warnings?

And, once banned, is there a right of appeal and, if so, to whom?

[Wolfie]

Interesting topic.

And one thats been discussed before...

Is there a process for banning - as in something like three strikes and you're out, or can it come crashing down on their heads unexpectedly? Do they get warnings?

Yes theres a warning system in place, when you reach the top level (9 warnings) the forum software automatically bans you. However if the Administration team deems your behavior/actions warrant banning before you reach 9 they can change your account status accordingly.

And no, its not possible to see your own warning levels, this is a decision made by the administrator team... you will receive a PM or Email notification of your warning, its up to you to keep count.. this prevents people deliberately misbehaving knowing they have x warnings left before they get automatically banned.

Moderators have only the power to remove your posting rights and suspend your account for a set period of time. The general rule of thumb is 72hrs suspension for breaking the forum rules, but again if the moderator in question feels you deserve longer (or shorter) then its possible to choose a different time, from 1 hour to 999999 days.

All action taken against members is recorded in a thread in the moderators forum, this is reviewed regularly by the administrators and action taken accordingly (reduction or increase of suspension/posting rights removal etc.)

For particularly tricky situations a thread is opened in the moderators forum detailing the problem, the member and suggested action, this is then discussed and the result applied accordingly (thats where the 72hr thing comes in, we generally decide what happens within the 72hours)

And, once banned, is there a right of appeal and, if so, to whom?

Yes, you can contact an administrator who will review your case (possibly opening a discussion in the moderators forum or administrators forum) and make a decision based on the case and discussion, whilst this is not something that happens often it has been known to happen before.

Also we have regular 'reviews' of peoples warning history, sometimes choosing to reduce a members warning level if they have shown 'good behavior'

Thats about as close to 'discussing moderator issues' as your going to get, and i'm going to close this topic now.